Image of new library forming

Library managers and architects are getting a better idea of what might be included in a new Spokane Valley library, but it’s still uncertain when the district can bring a plan to build it before voters.

At a meeting Tuesday, the board that oversees the Spokane County Library District passed its $9.4 million budget for next year and looked ahead, reviewing its planning with Integrus Architecture on the new library.

“It’s kind of a puzzle that you’ve got to work through,” said Library District Director Mike Wirt.

Different types of library materials take up different amounts of space and have different percentages of items checked out at any given time, Wirt said. The planning is on schedule, and library officials mostly have been figuring out what the library might need.

Original space estimates for the new library were about 50,000 square feet, but with everything discussed to date the size had increased to about 70,000 square feet. Wirt said the final size probably will fall somewhere in between.

District officials had hoped to place fundraising measures for the new library on the ballot as early as next year, but their desire to build it in a proposed Spokane Valley city center has complicated things.

“Where we have some problems is the timing we have isn’t really parallel to the timing of the city center process,” Wirt said.

The district board has asked to meet with the City Council to discuss the projects. But that probably can’t happen until the city decides on a plan to develop the city center, Wirt said.

Waiting to finish the library beyond 2010 could result in cost increases upward of $1 million per year, which Wirt said the board will have to weigh against the benefits and possible savings of building in the city center, Wirt said.

“I think it’s worth it,” said board chairwoman Ann Apperson.

The district could have jumped in years ago and proposed the new library, Apperson said, but waiting for the best location makes sense.

The board hasn’t made any decisions yet about the timing issues and in the past has indicated it wants to talk further with Spokane Valley about the city center and when it might be built.